Willis fronted the disco group and co-wrote their hit “Y.M.C.A.”

Victor Willis, founding lead singer of Village People, dies at 74

Willis fronted the disco group and co-wrote their hit "Y.M.C.A."

By Leigh Blickley

July 1, 2026 8:29 a.m. ET

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Victor Willis in 1979. Credit:

Paul Natkin/Getty

- Victor Willis of Village People died on Tuesday. He was 74.

- According to a statement on Facebook, Willis battled "a short but aggressive illness."

- He co-wrote many of the Village People's hit songs, including "Y.M.C.A." and "Macho Man."

Victor Willis, the founding lead singer of Village People, died on Tuesday. He was 74.

Willis, who co-wrote the disco group's hit songs like "Y.M.C.A." and "Macho Man," founded Village People with French producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo in 1977. He often performed costumed as a policeman or naval officer alongside original members Alex Briley (G.I.), Felipe Rose (Native American), Mark Mussler (construction worker), Dave Forrest (cowboy), Lee Mouton (leatherman/biker), and songwriter Peter Whitehead.

Village People announced Willis' death with a statement on their Facebook page Wednesday.

"We are profoundly sad to announce the death of VICTOR WILLIS, lead singer of Village People. Victor passed on Tuesday June 30, 2026 of a short but aggressive illness. Privacy is requested."

** has reached out for further details.

Village People in 1978.

Michael Putland/Getty

Willis* *was born in Dallas in 1951 and raised in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco. The son of a Baptist preacher, he often sang gospel music in church before taking an interest in jazz and soul. With his band the Ballads, Willis opened for The Temptations as a teen.

After college, Willis landed a role in the Las Vegas production of musical *Hair*, which led him to pursue work in New York. Willis appeared in the Broadway productions of *Two Gentlemen of Verona* and *The Wiz*, where he met his first wife, Phylicia Ayers-Allen (now known as Phylicia Rashad).

Willis ultimately met Morali and Belolo and went on to form Village People. After recording a four-track demo, he co-wrote songs for the group and they quickly rose to the top of the charts, scoring major hits with "Macho Man," "Y.M.C.A," "In the Navy," and "Go West."

Willis left the group in 1979 ahead of their film flop *Can't Stop The Music,* only to briefly return for the 1982 album *Fox on the Box*. He departed Village People again in 1983.

Village People circa 1980.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

He recorded a solo record, *Solo Man*, in 1979, which remained unreleased for three decades until 2015. And he also wrote the lyrics and arranged the vocals for Rashad's 1978 disco concept album *Josephine Superstar*, which featured the Village People on backing vocals. They divorced in 1982.

Willis struggled with drug addiction for much of his life, admitting his departure from the group led to a low in his career.

"I got very depressed over the years and decided to just drop off the map. So I got into drugs," he told the *San Diego Union Tribune* in 2015. "I spent the 1980s and '90s ... well, I got kind of drugged out, because I was disappointed with the way things were and got frustrated, and gave up for a bit, and decided I didn't want to be a part of it."

He continued, "So much had been taken away from me that I just turned to drugs."

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Willis began to turn things around in 2006 after he was court-ordered to undergo substance abuse treatment and completed three years of probation.

Victor Willis in 2023.

Gari Garaialde/Redferns

Around the same time, he met his second wife, Karen Huff-Willis, an attorney and entertainment executive. She helped him fight a copyright case against the companies that controlled the Village People's hits, Can't Stop Productions and Scorpio Music, and the court ultimately ruled he was entitled to 50 percent ownership of 13 of the group's songs in the U.S., including "Y.M.C.A."

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Willis returned to the group in 2017 after the legal win. Village People resumed touring and recording, and found success with a Christmas album in 2019. They also performed "Y.M.C.A." at President Donald Trump's pre-inauguration rally in January 2025 after Willis initially stated he was against Trump's use of the song. "The financial benefits have been great," he admitted on Facebook in 2024.

Trump reacted to news of Willis' death on Wednesday, sharing that "Y.M.C.A." became a "monster" hit again thanks, in part, to him. He wrote on Truth Social: "Victor and the group was there for us right from the beginning! They loved the action, and we loved them and their great and uplifting song. We will think of Victor every time 'Y.M.C.A.' is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week. My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed, God Bless Him!!!"

Willis would have turned 75 on Wednesday, July 1.

Willis is survived by Huff-Willis.

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